With the drop of quarter, city officials say, people passing through downtown Baltimore can turn “despair” into “hope.”
City officials began installing old coin-operated parking meters in downtown Baltimore Tuesday, encouraging citizens to put their spare change in the meters ? instead of giving it to panhandlers.
When a passerby drops change in the meter ? which is designed with thesigns “despair” and “hope” ? the money will go directly to Baltimore Homeless Services Inc.
“We want to have a constructive way to help the homeless,” said Downtown Partnership president Kirby Fowler. “We also have a problem with panhandling downtown. We get complaints from tourists, residents and businesspeople. So we thought, ?We have to find a way that folks can say no to panhandling and yes to helping the homeless.”
The meters are the latest part of the Downtown Partnership?s “Make a Change” program, which emphasizes that money should be given to charities and not to panhandlers.
In addition to the new meters, the partnership has placed “Make a Change” collection boxes in downtown businesses, hotels and other venues to collect money for the homeless.
